Is cerebral white matter involvement helpful in the diagnosis of dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy?

Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized by the presence of cerebellar ataxia in combination with variable neurological symptoms. Cerebral white matter involvement of DRPLA is rare and reported mainly in severe, progressed cases of old-aged or juvenile-onset DRPLA. We describe three cases of genetically confirmed DRPLA that developed changes in cerebral white matter in the early stage of middle-aged patients. Our results of our study indicate that cerebral white matter changes are not rare in DRPLA and might be helpful for differentiation in ataxia patients with brainstem and cerebellum atrophy.